Fluid clutch with slidable bearing



Jain. 20, 1953 T. FAWlCK 2,625,031

FLUID CLUTCH WITH SLIDABLE BEARING Filed June 11, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

THOMAS L. FAWICK.

ATTORNEY Jan. 20-, 1953 17.1.. FAWICK FLUID CLUTCH WITH SLIDABLE BEARING Filed June 11, 1949 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

THOMAS .L.. FAWICK 20% law ATTORNEY Jan. 20, 1953 a. L. FAWICK 2,626,031

FLUID CLUTCH WITH SLIDABLE BEARING Filed June 11, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. THOMAS L. FAWICK WM 9. (51A ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 20, 1953 FLUID CLUTCH WITH SLIDABLE BEARING Thomas L. Fawick, ClevelantLOhio, assignor to The Fawick Airflex Company, Inc., a corporation of Indiana Application June 11, 1949, Serial N 0. 98,537

, 6 Claims. (01. 192588) Thisinvention relates to a clutch assembly and especially to a power take-off assembly comprising a clutch. V

- Its chief objects are to provide a take-off assembly of short axial length, for economy of space and for avoidance of excessive side-draft on the assembly; to provide conveniently and with certainty, in the use. of a disc-type pneumatic -:clutch such as is described and more broadly claimed in my U. S. Patent No. 2,307,456 or No. 2,439,849, for equal division of the clutch load between two pairs of mating friction clutch faces; thus to provide against clutch-engaging force being sustained as an excessive thrust upon the crank-shaft of the motor in the case of a power take-off embodying my invention; to provide simplicity and economy of construction and assembly; and to provide, in an assembly of this type, the flexible-coupling effect that is a feature of the'clutches of my above mentioned patents.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an axial section of a power take-off assembly embodying my invention in its preferred form.

' Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the same, from the right of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary axial section of a modification.

In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings a driven shaft It], provided at its outer end with a key Ill for the securing of a belt-pulley or sprocket or the like thereon, has an inner end portion of small diameter which is axially slidable in the inner race of an anti-friction pilot bearing 1 I mounted in a central recess in the hub of the fly-wheel 12 of the motor.

Nearj'its' outer end the driven shaft It is journaled, by a bearing assembly to be more fully described'hereinafter, in a conical clutch housing l3 which is secured by bolts 14 to the housing 15 of the motor. The two housings are referred tom the appended claims as a frame structure.

holes in the disc-like portion of the member is.

The diaphragms I9 preferably are of cord-reinforced rubber, as shown, and vulcanized to the outer face of each of them is an annular metal plate 24having secured to its outer face a disc like ring 25 of wear-resisting,frictional, clutchfacing materiah r For frictionalengagement by one of theclutch facings 25 the fiy-wheel I2 is suitably formed with a smooth and flat annular face 26. For frictional engagement by the other one of the clutch facings 25 a metal ring 21, formed with a smooth and flat face 28, is of dishedform at its outer margin and is there secured tothe fly-wheel. by bolts 29, 29.

To prevent oil from reaching the friction faces of the clutch the clamping rings 22, 22 can be formed at their outer margins with respective oblique oil-throwing lips 22 22 One ofthem is thus adapted to divert oil into an annular groove 30 formed in the adjacent face of the fly wheel and in communication with holes 3|,. 3| extending obliquely through the fly-wheel. The other one of the clamping ring 22, by reason of its oblique lip 22 is adapted to divert oil to the exterior face of the friction ring 21 of the clutch.

For distending the diaphragms, for clutch engagement, the disc-like portion of their mounting, Ili is suitably drilled, as shown, to provide communication of annular grooves 32, 32 in its opposite faces with a transverse hole 33 in the shaft in which communicates with an axial bore 34 extending from the outer end of the shaft, where a rotary seal 35 is'provided for'charging and venting the inter-diaphragm spaceofthe clutch through a non-rotating hose. 36 leading from a suitable source of pressure fluid and provided with a suitable control valve, not shown.

The bearing assembly by which the driven shaft I0 is journaled in the clutch-housing member 13 comprises a double-conical radial-andthrust, roller bearing 31 of which the two inner races are fitted on the shaft in stacked relation against a shoulder 38 on the shaft. The two outer races are held stacked, with an intervening spacer 31 against a shoulder 39 in a bearingseat ring 40, the means for so holding them being a closure'ring 4| drawn toward the seating ring 40 by bolts 42, 42 and having a centering and clamping flange M fitting within the seating ring and clampingly abutting the adjacent one of the outer races of the bearing. 7 1

The bearing assembly comprising the seating ring 40 and the closure ring 41- is thus firmly positioned upon the shaft by the shoulder .38.

ing ring 40 of the bearing assembly is freely slid able in it, but such that the seating ring 40 can be securely clamped at a fixed position :in it by tight ening a large clamping boltAB.extendingthrough ears 41, 4'! projecting from .itAEigdZ).atgopposite,

sides of the slot 45.

In assembling the structure the clutch parts,

including the friction ring 21, and*the large=bear-- ing assembly described, are preliminarily mounted upon the shaft l and the conical clutch hausing m e mber .l3 is loosely associated. with the 'seatinggringjlfl" ofithelarge jbearing. This subassembl'y, isthen presented to the-fi'y wheeland motor housing, the'smalliend of'the; shaft I 0"enteringtheiinner'race .of the pilotbearing, ,andithe clut'ch'thous'ingis secured to the motonhousin'g bythe bolts M; The friction ring2l'is then'bolted to the fiy-wheel, openings 48, 48in" the clutch housing providing access'forthat purpose;-

Pressurezfluid is then admitted to the clutch,- throug'htheshaft I 9; to distend" the diaphragms and; with equal pressureagainst the two, force the wear "plates-"25', 25 respectively against the friction"face ofthecfiwwheel and that of the friction ring 27; Thiscauses the disc-like mounte ing I6 of the diaphragms, and with it"the shaft I'lfandthe seating ring 40 of the large bearing, tow-take "positionsaxiallyof the assembly suitablevlfor equalization of clutch-engagement-pressure between the' two; pairs of frictionfacesin subsequentenga-gements of the clutch, and they are theniheld-gin those positions by '-tighteni ng' of thejarge? .clamping bolt '46:

Suckequalization of pressures; ;f or -further opieration; isithus provided-in spite of *such slight inaccuracies or dimensions; or different-fl'exi- 'bilities'of'the diaphragms; as may exist:

"Suitable provision-can-be made, as shown, for supplying 'oil -tothepilot bearing 1 I; and for supplying Oil" to the large-bearing at whatever position'its"seating-member 40 may have assumed in-the boss; the outer face oftheseating memher is formediwith'recess -49 of sufficient width,

axially'o'f the -assernbly-, to be sure to -be-incommunication'with ani-Joil' hole 50 in' the boss; and heinginicommuni'cation; througli a bore-5|, with the? interiorof the seating ring:

*mr'outboardsupport 52 can be provided; but is optional, because the entiretake-off assembly can -be ofsmall dimension axially, so that neither 'its'weightfnor the'power load has excessive leverage-or-side-draft.

the modification' shownin Fig 3, the driven shaft; 1 0 is" formed i with an annularshoulder 38" and provided* witha locking nut 38 for holding-between them the inner: races-31 and 31 and a-spacer ring'fil of 'an'anti-friction bearing- 31 here shown "as a double, outwardly *fi'areely-conicahroller bearing, of which a single ring-3'l provides the outer races for the two sets ofrollers:

This'outer-race ring 37 is -slidably-rnounted in a seating member 40* and-is of less axial dimen- 'siorr,.'tharr' the" space between an internal 1 flange '40fof 'the'zseating member and a shoulder 40 of an end=closure ring Mi -secured to the seating 4 member by bolts 42 42 At its other end the seating member 40'" is formed with an endclosure flange MW. Oil seals 43 43 are provided respectively between this end-closure flange 40 and the shaft and between the end-closure ring 4U and the shaft, so that the bearing and its racesare enclosed in.a.sealed,.oilchamber.

In. this embodiment, the seating: member 40 for the bearing is fixedly secured to the clutch :housing, [3 by bolts I3, I3; an oil pipe 50 extends into the housing from its exterior and is coupleditoaaaholezinithe seating member 40 for supplying, oil to the chamber containing the hearing, .andtth'e outer race ring 3? of the bearing is formedlwithmadial holes such as the hole 31 and with an annular groove 31 on its outer face .fon 'conveyingasome of the oil to that face for somewhat as a single unitu int cushioning the thrust'and thus protecting the/bearings of. the motor crank-shaft to which they transmit it, their action 1 as a unit 'beingssomewhat analogous to the action 1 of the :two side-walls of. a". tire; as aunit, incushioning. side -sway: of ancautomobile on acurve.

Further-modifications rarexpossible withoutzdee parturefrom the scope ofthe. invention: as defined by the appended-.iclaims:

-I'claim:

1; A- clutchassembly comprising: a:framezstruce ture, two axially aligned shafts havingt'journaled relation tosaid frame structure :andzhavingztheir adjacent ends presented .to:each;:other ,.a rigid clutchelement mounted on :one ofsthe. shafts and having two axially and oppositely: facing friction surfaces, ata fixed distance'ifrom each other, for clutch'engagement, a rigidlclutch elee ment mounted onthe other shaft and having mounted thereon two diaphragms axially dis; tensible for engaging respectively; the-said fries tion' surfaces, and means for distendin iandz re:- laxing' the diaphragms; one of the. said-.qrigid clutch elements being,at least on occasion; axially slidable with relation to the other rigid' clutch element" to permit the engagement pressure of each of' the'diaphagms to be at least -chiefly sustained by the other diaphragm.

2. A clutch assembly-comprising a frame' structure, two axially aligned shafts having journale'd relation to said frame structure and havin -their adjacent ends presented to' eachother, a rigid clutch element mounted on one of the shafts and having a pair of-axially and oppositely facing friction-surfaces for clutch engagement, and;a

rigid clutch element mounted on thezother shaft went to permit the engagement pressures ofjthe diaphragm elements to be chiefly sustained by each other, the said friction surfaces being of substantially plane form and said diaphragm elements having torque-sustaining portions that are flexible for compensating shaft mis-alignment.

3. A clutch assembly comprising a frame structure, two axially aligned shafts having journaled relation to said frame structure and having their adjacent ends presented to each other, a rigid clutch element mounted on one of the shafts and having a pair of axially and oppositely facing friction surfaces, at a fixed distance from each other, for clutch engagement, a rigid clutch element mounted on the other shaft and having mounted thereon a pair of friction elements axially movable with relation to each other for engaging respectively the said friction surfaces, and means for so moving them, the assembly including a bearing assembly interposed operatively between the frame structure and the shaft of one of the rigid clutch elements and having a fixed position axially of one of the two rigid clutch elements, and means for holding the bearing assembly in axially slidable but centered relation to the other one of said rigid clutch elements, the bearing assembly including a bearingenclosing structure and oil seals between it and a relatively rotating member.

4. A clutch assembly comprising a frame structure, two axially aligned shafts having journaled relation to said frame structure and having their adjacent ends presented to each other, a rigid clutch element mounted on one of the shafts and having a pair of axially and oppositely facing friction surfaces for clutch engagement, and a rigid clutch element mounted on the other shaft and having mounted thereon a pair of fluid-distensible elements oppositely distensible, axially of the assembly, for effecting driving engagement of said friction surfaces, the assembly including a bearing assembly interposed operatively between the frame structure and the shaft of one of the rigid clutch elements and means for holding the bearing assembly in axially slidable but centered relation to the other of said rigid clutch elements, the bearing assembly including a bearing-enclosing structure and oil-seals interposed between it and a relatively rotating member.

5. A clutch assembly comprising a frame structure, two axially aligned shafts having journaled relation to said frame structure and having their adjacent ends presented to each other, a rigid clutch element mounted on one of the shafts and having a pair of axially and oppositely facing friction surfaces for clutch engagement, and a rigid clutch element mounted on the other shaft and having mounted thereon a pair of fluid-distensible elements oppositely distensible, axially of the assembly, for effecting driving engagement of said friction surfaces, the assembly including a bearing assembly interposed operatively between the frame structure and the shaft of one of the rigid clutch elements and having a fixed position axially of one of the said rigid clutch elements, and means for holding the bearing assembly in axially slidable but centered relation to, and, alternatively, in fixed position axially of, the other of said rigid clutch elements.

6. A clutch assembly comprising a frame structure, two axially aligned shafts having journaled relation to said frame structure and having their adjacent ends presented to each other, a rigid clutch element mounted on one of the shafts and having a pair of axially and oppositely facing friction surfacesv for clutch engagement, and a rigid clutch element mounted on the other shaft and having mounted thereon a pair of fluid-distensible elements oppositely distensible, axially of the assembly, for effecting driving engagement of said friction surfaces, the assembly including a thrust-bearing assembly interposed operatively between the frame structure and the shaft of one of the rigid clutch elements, and means for making the thrust-bearing ineffective, to permit the frame structure and the shaft to assume relative positions determined by the engagement pressures of the said fluid-distensible elements, and for then making it effective to fix a determinate relationshi of the fluid-distensible ele ments to the friction surfaces.

THOMAS L. FAWICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,338,252 Ralls Apr. 2'7, 1920 1,402,458 Strom Jan. 3, 1922 2,111,847 Eason Mar. 28, 1938 2,208,865 Gette Q. July 23, 1940 2,251,445 Fawick Aug. 5, 1941 2,333,682 Schneider Nov. 9, 1943 2,439,849 Fawick Apr. 20, 1948 2,544,768 Schulder Mar. 13, 1951 

